Why's It Always Me? | Neville Longbottom/George Weasley x student

The Train

1st September 1996

I'm on my way to Platform 9 3/4 with Mr Moody, Tonks, Harry and Padfoot. Harry's getting annoyed at me for talking to Tonks about how he fancies Ginny. We see Padfoot going into the waiting room. Harry walks in first after Padfoot transforms, I follow but stay unnoticed. I see Harry get given a picture by my Dad.
"That's Marlene McKinnon, Laura's mother, her whole family was wiped out by the Dark Lord. Laura was five months old, July 1981. Just a few months before Prongs and Lily... Just a few months before I... Anyways, I want you to have the photo."
"Why me? Wouldn't it be better for Laura? Because her mum is there?" Harry responds.
"Well, your parents are there. In my opinion that's more important."
"Dad.. Seriously?"
"Pup?! I didn't mean to-"
"Save it." I run out back to Tonks and into her arms.
"Woah, what's wrong?"
"He gave Harry a picture. A picture of my Mother, of the old Order. Harry's parents were there too. He said it was more important that Harry got the picture."
"Oh, love... I'm sure he didn't mean it." Tonks says, checking the time,
"Oh gosh, 4 minutes. Let's go!" Tonks and I walk off to the platform leaving Sirius and Harry. We get on and I see Neville, he's with Dean and Ginny. I run over to them and look over to Tonks, she waves me goodbye and I smile at her.
"Hi, Laura." Dean says.
"Alright, Dean!" I respond whilst hugging Ginny. I look to Neville,
"Neville!! Hi!" He says nothing. Instead he envelops me into a hug.
"Moony!" He proclaimed.
"I'm so glad to see you! I missed you so much."
"I missed you too, Nev."
We get onto the train and find a completely empty compartment so we all sit down. Ginny tries to sit beside me but I never noticed and sat beside Neville. Ginny sighs then realised why so looked at me and smiled.
We knew the compartment wouldn't stay so empty for that long. Fred and George come in, George sits beside Dean and Fred squishes up beside me. I think it was possibly intentional as I am now right up beside Neville, our hips touching.
"Bothering you, are we?" Fred says looking at Neville who seems a little uncomfortable.
"Uhh, no." He whispers.
The train pulls off and we're on our way back home.
The trolly lady comes by.
"Anything from the trolly dears?"
"Could I please get a packet of Droobles?" Neville aks.
"Of course, lovely"
"Me too." Dean says.
The trolly lady hand out the two packets of Droobles.
"Anyone else?"
"Chocolate frog please" Fred blurted.
She hands a chocolate frog to George.
George is confused and says
"I didn't ask for anything, he did." Pointing at Fred.
"Oh! Sorry!" She says handing the chocolate frog to Fred.
"Would you like anything?" She asks me.
"Oh, let me check if my Dad remembered to give me money." I check, there's only enough for a licorice wand. He must've forgot to give me money.
"Nothing for me thanks" I frown. "I really wanted a pumpkin pasty too."
"May I also get a pumpkin pasty too, please?" Neville asks shyly.
The trolly lady catches on.
"Of course, young man. You are such a gentleman!"
She hands him the pumpkin pasty and the Neville gives it to me and smiles.
"Neville" I frown. "You didn't have to!" I try to hand it back but he refuses.
"Take it!" He demanded. "It's not your fault you didn't have enough money."
"He's right, Moony." Fred whispers in my ear.
I push Fred away from my ear playfully slap him.
I look down the carriage and see another trolly lady giving harry droobles, a chocolate, 2 pumpkin pasties and jelly beans. Dad must've given him money.
We joke for the rest of the train ride. Fred usually making Neville the butt of all jokes. I don't laugh at those ones. George doesn't laugh either. That's the only time he ever gets annoyed at Fred. Neville means a lot to him and I. Dean is pretty quiet the whole journey and Ginny doesn't say much but she does involve herself. At one point I think Fred maybe took a joke too far because Dean left the compartment for a while. When he came back I asked if he was alright but he never answered. I'm not even sure why he got upset about the joke, it was only about Seamus. I look at George as Dean ignores me and George whispers to Dean. They both leave. Maybe George will get something out of him. We get into Scotland and for the rest of the journey Fred puts on a Scottish accent trying to mock me. We start nearing Hogwarts and Dean comes back in with George. I look to George and he mouths.
"Later."
They sit back down and the castle is in view, barely there but the feelings are prominent. I get butterflies in my stomach, I think that's a good thing. Then I start feeling terribly ill. Professor Trelawney always told me that was a bad omen. Something's going to happen and it wont be good. We get off the train and I start feeling faint. Whilst we're walking my legs go and I collapse. George kneels down beside me and Neville, who was a few steps in front, runs to us and also kneels down. After about 2 minutes I wake up.
"Laura!" Neville sighs. "You gave me such a fright."
"I'm sorry." I reply. "I need to see Professor Trelawney." George aids me to stand up and then puts me over his shoulder. It hurts but it's better than walking. We get to the carriages.
"What is that? Pulling the carriage?"
"There's nothing there, Laura." Fred says.
"Yes there is."
"I see it, Looney- I mean, Luna told me, they are thestrals." Dean whispers to me. "You can only see them if you have experienced a death of someone significant to you. So your mum."
"Oh, and you have-"
"My grandmother."
"Oh, I'm sorry." I sympathise.
"That's alright." Dean smiles.
"Should we.. get on?" George suggests.
"Oh, sure. Let's go, Nev-" I look around for Neville and see that he got another carriage with Harry. "Ah."
"Don't worry about that, Laura." Fred says holding my head up to make sure im looking at him and not upset. "You'll see him soon."
"Yeah.." We get on the carriages and George throws me off his shoulder onto the seat beside Fred.